Gandhis nurtured India's democracy with their blood: Priyanka slams BJP over Rahul's disqualification

In a blistering attack on the BJP, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said Rahul Gandhi, the son of a martyred prime minister, was called 'Mir Jafar' and insults were hurled at his family but he would not bow down as he belongs to a family whose members have nurtured democracy by its blood.

Her attack came after the former Congress president and her brother was disqualified from Lok Sabha, a day after he was convicted by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case Thursday.

In a series of tweets, Priyanka Gandhi launched an all-out attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying in a tweet in Hindi, "Narendra Modi ji, your sycophants called the son of a martyred prime Minister a traitor, Mir Jafar. One of your Chief Minister raised questions as to who is the father of Rahul Gandhi? Following the custom of Kashmiri Pandits, a son wears 'pagdi' after his father's death, maintaining his family's tradition."

"Insulting the whole family and the Kashmiri Pandit community, you asked in Parliament why we don't keep the name Nehru. But no judge gave you a sentence of two years. Did not disqualify you from the Parliament," she said.

The Congress general secretary said Gandhi is a "true patriot" and has questioned Adani Group's loot, raised questions on Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

"Has your friend Gautam Adani become bigger than the country's Parliament and the great people of India that you were rattled when his loot was questioned? You call my family dynasty, do note that this family has nurtured India's democracy with their blood," she said.

This family raised the voice of the people of India and fought for the truth for generations, she said.

"The blood that runs in our veins has one specialty... it never bows down before a coward, power-hungry dictator like you and will never bow down. Do whatever you want,"she said hitting out at the prime minister.

The court in Surat sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail in the defamation case, filed on a complaint by BJP MLA Purnesh Modi for his alleged remark, "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?"

Hitting out at the government over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha, the Congress said it was "a black day for Indian democracy" and asserted that the battle will be fought both "legally and politically".